Article of upholstery and method of making the same



J. FEINERMAN Dec. 6, 1955 ARTICLE OF UPHOLSTERY AND METHOD OF' MAKING THE SAME Filed June 18. 1951 FIG. 2.

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ATTQR NSYS 2,725,927 *Patented Dec. 6, 1955 :ARTICLE OF UPHOLSTERY.` AND METHOD "OF `MAKJNGTHE ^SAME 3 Jack FeinermanjNewiYork, N. Y. .Application June. 18, 1951.Serial No.232,205 5`Clims. (Cl."155184) `-My `u'nven'tion f relates lto a new .aand improved Y.article of 'upholsteryi atdla -new and improved method of making '1 the same.

`My invention relates particularly to an .upholstery cushion which comprises laI stu'iied envelope, -in -which the front land back panels of the envelope aare; -Iixed to'each lxother at their edges,.andalso aty regular intervals,fin '.wardlywof thek corners'v or'edges ofsuchJ envelope. `The .:points attwhi'chssaid panels'are'ixed to` each other in- .swarldl'y oftheiredges are usually Aprovided A'with' tufts or buttons or other decoration, and such cushionsare generally-designatedin the trade astufted upholstery. Such `cushions-are extensively used .in -the`backsy of chairs,

couches, etc., and for other purposes.

vAlthough .this type 'of upholsteryihas been known -and extensively/.used for ati least .fourhundred years,-italways nhas been. and now is `beingwmade by hand, and itl has required andl nou/:requires slow and highly skilledland @expensive labor. Thestuingmaterialshavef beenl fibres ,of various types, such as animal hair, kapok, etc.

'-'The xannexed "drawings Aand description illustrate La .cushion .of-.square outline which hasvsides whose respective lengths.I arelifteen inches and-whosefrontaand'rear .panels liare'. connected to eachother ati the edges-of said cushion,'.and at inner tacking points.

By Ausing handl workaccording to the oldlme'thod which .:isstill1in use, .it requiresapproximately two rhours of highly skillediand:experienced' laborfto-stul an old-type .cushionofrthissize. Even then, the .awork-is foften. -im- .perfect .lAccordingztoemy .invention,rlthe same lwork vcan tbe domein ve minutes.

VAlso, I can :utilize waste spongy or cellular latex'rubber. .'It. isi=welllcnown to .make '.pillowsand cushions rwthfthe .use .'.of .resilient vulcanized foamedlatexfwhich lhas a spongyor cellular.. structure. tIn making such-ar-ticles, there is a large amount of scrapror :'wasterubber which xhasasuch. cellular structure. It has heretofore-not been possible to utilize such material as -sttiiiingcor `vfilling material in upholstery.

5 Other objectsandfelements and features and advantages of `my `invention are stated inthe annexed description and "drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a face orfront elevation of a. cushion which .has front and rear panels which are connectedto each .o'ther at theiredges, and alsov inwardly of their edges Vat`inner points. The .cushion may be of any size or shape, and itspanels may be connected at any vnumber of inner points. Fig. 1 .also illustrates the method vof manufacture. This cushion has .variousimprovements of construction over the old-type cushion and :it.does not illustrate thev old-style cushion.

fFigfZ is arear elevation of Fig. l

Fig.".3 is afi-ont elevation .of the improved Vfrontfpanel Aof the envelope ofzthe cushion, showing how this 'front panel` is-shaped and finished,` before said yimprovedvfront .the four.points-.16 and the stungis continued.

panel is assembled with the 'median .points D and Da.

.stantially'at and the front muslinl .which are defined only bythese separated tacks.

rear panel-of thev envelope to make the improved empty envelope; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line'4-4of Fig;v 1.

The -invention is not limitedto any material or materials for the envelope or its stuing. As one example, the front panel 10 of the envelope is made`of'muslin, and the rear panel'll of the envelope is made vof'burlap, which is much thickerthan said mu'slin. The thin front "-mu'slin panelrl is pervious to air. AThe' thick rear burlap vpanel 11 may be pervious Levent, the rear panel 511 is pervious to air than the front lpanel-10. In thisl example,

orimpervious to air. `In-any optionally yand preferably Vless the stuffing or filling material is cured or vulcanized scrap rubber ywhich is resilientfand which has the spongy or cellular structure of foamed latexrubber which-hasbeerl vulcanized or cured.

Old method to veachother at the corners C and Ca, also at the'three' intermediate topedge-points A, 4also.` at the three laterally alinedv inner points B, and also lat..the laterally` alined The front and' rearppanels 10 vand 11 are thus connected to eachotheronlyiat said 1 separated points C, Ca, .A, lB, AD and Da, Veither .by .,tacking stitches or other permanent or detachable fastening means. AThe panels. 10 and.111are unconnectedzto each other, save at-V said points C, Ca, A, .B,.D'=and` Da.

f'lheffrontjpanelf10 is ofi larger area thanthe rear` panel .11, `in order .to -providev space forthe stuing. In..the inishedcushion, the rear burlap panel 11 remains;sub panel 10 is bulged outwardly, iniorder to provide-,space for the filling.

The tacking operations result in four -toppocketsP, ,These .four topv pockets are stuffed by hand. 'The operator. must carefully estimatef the amount. of stuffing. and usefthe proper stuffing pressure and distribute. the stuffing-evenly, in orderto avoid lumps zand ridges.

The panels 1) andllare `then tacked torea'ch othenzat .The panelsltland 11, arethen tacked (toeachnotherfat the three points 16a, and .also at rthe corners-'E.1andEEa and atx the lthree points 16h, and the-stuliingfis continued by.hand. The last operation Vis to formftheaedgestitches` 19.

Y New method The pattern blank ofl the front -muslin panel4 1l) Ais of a greater area than the blank of the rear-burlappanel 11.

"The kblank ofthe front vmu'slingpanelll) isl shaped'and finished 'to provide 'three diamond-shaped sub-areasl'a, whichihave interior flaps or pleats lsb, and alsol tojpro- -videlateral pleats or iiaps'c, before said 'frontjpanel 10 is 4stitched or otherwise connected to rear panel'll.

'For this purpose, tapered-,pleats'are formed-'in thepat- KItern blankof'muslin panel 1'0,l Ain order -to 'provide inner inclined lap pleats `or taps l-Sbywhi'ch are stitched toY the body of panel 1t) alongtheistitch lines 15a. iThedia- `mond-'shaped sub-areas orsbpanels" 10a-ofthe' panel 10 are^=located laterally betweenthe44 interior laprpleats` or iiaps i 18C. I'Laterally -alined -stitches 15' are"formed,in order toA sewl interior pleats'A 18e -tov thel 'body'-of-panel"'10.

The pattern blank or piece for `rnuslin pane1=10 ispro- `vided-with accurate markings, so that'the-*operator-can easily and accurately form the vpleatsprfflaps "18b'1ar1d 1f8c. These' flaps-'18h and 18e 'mayf be' formed and' sewed Aversed-or otherwise changed.

The pre-shaped panel which is shown in Fig. 3 is then applied to the flat planar rear burlap panel'll, which is fiat in the nal cushion, save where the rows of stitches 17 and the tackng stitches 16 are provided. The area of pre-shaped panel 10 exceeds the area of panel 11, and is less than the area of the blank of panel 10.

The operator may start to sew panels 10 and 11 to each other at the upper left corner C. In such case, the top edge stitches 19 are first made to connect panels 10 and 11 between upper left corner C, and the next-adjacent left point A. The left vertical edge stitches 19 may next be formed along the entire left vertical edge of the envelope, in order to connect panels 10 and 11 at said edge. The first or left vertical or longitudinal stitches 17 are then formed between the left points A and B, in order to connect panels 10 and 11.

The left longitudinal box pleat 18a is then formed in panel 10 at the left stitches 17. This box pleat 18a and the other box pleats 18a are short. Their length is illustrated in Fig. 3. They are not stitched to either panel 1i) or 11, save by stitches 19.

The top stitches 19 are then formed between left top point C and the intermediate top point A, and the intermediate line of stitches 17 is formed between the intermediate points A and B. The intermediate top box pleat 18a is then formed in top panel 10, and top stitches 19 are then formed between intermediate point A and the right point A. The right row of longitudinal stitches 17 is then formed. The right box pleat 18a is then formed, and the top edge stitches 19 are then finished between right point A and right corner Ca. The stitches 17 do not pass through the top layers of box pleats 18a.

The bottom stitches 19 and 17 and the bottom box pleats 18a are formed as above mentioned, and the stitches 19 are then formed along the right vertical edge of the envelope between corners Ca and Ea, save that a space Pa is left in bottom stitches 19 at right corner Ba, in order to permit the insertion of nozzle 38.

The end point D of left stitches is midway between left corners C and E, and the other end point Da is laterally alined with point D, to be midway between right corners Ca and Ea.

Tacking stitches are formed at the four points 16, after the top stitches 17 have been made.

All this work can be done easily and accurately on the empty envelope with a sewing machine, with the use of suitable guide pattern markings.

The three bottom vertical lines of stitches 17 have respective inner end points 16a and bottom end points 16b.

The panels 10 and 11 of the finished empty envelope are connected to each other only at edge-stitches 19, at the six longitudinal lines of stitches 17, and by the four tacking stitches 16.

Said panels 10 and 11 are not connected to each other between point D and left tacking stitch 16, or between point Da and right tacking stitch 16, or by means of stitches 15a. The four tacking stitches 16 are laterally alined with points D and Da.

Eight finished and empty end top and bottom pockets P are thus formed in longitudinally alined pairs, and these pockets P are defined by longitudinal and lateral edgestitches 19 and inner stitchesr17.

The median portion of the empty envelope, which comprises the parts 10a of sub-panels 10b and 10c which are directly above and below the median points D and Da, has connections between panels 10 and 11, only at the four tacking points 16.

This method of manufacture can be used to make an empty envelope of square or rectangular or circular outline, or of any other outline, and with any number of pockets.

If desired, box pleats 18a can be formed at the corners C, Ca, E and Ea.

The filling or stufiing material 31, which may be animal or vegetable libre or stufting material of any kind which can be blown into position in suitable lengths or in pieces of suitable size, is located in a rigid container 30, which is made of metal or other material, and which has an air inlet 40 and an outlet tube 33.

Said outlet tube 33 is connected to a blower or aspirating tube 34, whose front end is connected by flexible hose 37 to nozzle 38, and whose rear end is connected by hose 35 to a blower or tank of compressed air, so as to force a current of air at selected velocity, in the direction of arrow 36, through the tube 34, thus aspirating the filling material 31 out of receptacle 30, into which air flows in the direction of arrow 41.

The above conventionally illustrates an injector of a. well-known type. Various other well-known details may be added to such injectors for forcing material 31 into pipe 34, regulating the feed of material 31 into pipe 34, etc.

Fig. 1 shows the tip of nozzle 38 in the third top pocket P from the left vertical edge. The operator may begin by filling the left top pocket P and successively fill the other top pockets P from left to right. The envelope may thus be half-filled up to the lateral line D-Da.

While keeping the nozzle 38 extending through opening Pa, the half-filled flexible envelope can be turned relative to the tip of nozzle 38, and the second half of the envelope is filled in the same way. During the filling, the air escapes freely through the interstices of the liexible muslin.

The nozzle 38 is then withdrawn from the envelope and the small opening Pa is closed by finishing the stitches 19.

The stuing is thus tightly and uniformly distributed in the finished cushion and it remains thus distributed to provide a resilient and flexible cushion. The resilient rubber lling is not compressed in the finished cushion.

The pre-formed empty envelope which I use, thus has panels 10 and 11 which are stitched to each other substantially continuously at their edges by edge stitches 19. The panels 10 and 11 of said pre-formed empty envelope are also connected by additional inner stitches 17 which are located inwardly of said edges of the panels. The inner ends of said inner stitches 17 are spaced from each other by an intermediate zone in which the sub-panels 10a are located, and in which the panels 10 and 11 are connected to each other only by spaced tacking stitches 16. The front panel 10 is pre-shaped in said intermediate zone, by providing pleats 18b which are stitched to said front panel 10, said pleats 18b being inclined to said inner stitches 17, each pleat 18b extending from an inner end B or 16a of a respective line of inner stitches 17 to a respective tacking stitch 16.

I also pre-shape said front panel 10 by means of additional pleats 18e which extend from respective tacks 16 to the edge-stitches 19.

Whenever I specify a stitch or stitches, I can use other fastening means.

The finished cushion is covered with fabric in the usual manner. For convenience, the direction of stitches 17 is designated as the longitudinal direction. The tufts or buttons are provided at the tacking points 16 and the inner ends of the rows of stitches 17.

The claims for the finished article are not limited to any method of manufacture.

The above is an example of a complete and preferred embodiment of my invention, but numerous changes and omissions and additions and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of my invention. The invention also includes the sub-combinations and elements disclosed herein.

I claim:

l. A method of making a stuffed upholstery envelope which has a pre-shaped front panel and a rear panel; which consists in pre-shaping said front panel by forming therein a series of internal stitched pleats which are spaced from the edges of said front panel, said internal stitched pleats being formed at the edges of a succession of diamond-shaped sub-areas of said front panel, said sub-areas having abutting corners on the same straight line and having two outer and non-abutting corners on said straight line and having intermediate offset corners which are offset in respective opposed directions relative to said straight line, said offset corners being arranged in offset pairs relative to said straight line; also forming additional internal stitched pleats in the direction of said straight line from each said outer corner to the respective edge of said front panel; substantially limiting the pleat formation in said front panel to the above-mentioned pleats to leave said front panel substantially unpleated save at the abovementioned pleats; stitching the edges of said pre-shaped front panel to the edges of said rear panel by edge-stitches along the edges of said panels save at a filling opening, to connect the edges of said panels to each other by said edge-stitches independently of the connection of said panels to an article of furniture; also stitching said panels to each other by pocket-forming stitches along pocket-forming lines which are perpendicular to said straight line and which extend from respective offset corners to the respective adjacent edges of said panels; also stitching said panels to each other at said abutting corners and outer corners by tack stitches which are limited to said abutting and outer corners, thus forming pockets between said panels which communicate with said filling opening; each said pocket being formed only by edge-stitches and two lines of pocket-forming stitches and said tack stitches; and blowing filling material into the entire space between said panels through said filling opening.

2. A method of making a stuted upholstery panel which has a rectangular pre-shaped front panel and a rectangular rear panel; said panels having lateral edges and transverse edges which consists in pre-shaped said front panel by forming therein a series of internal lap pleats which are stitched to said front panel, said internal pleats being formed at the edges of diamond-shaped sub-areas of said front panel, said sub-areas having abutting corners on the same straight lateral line and having two outer and nonabutting corners on said straight lateral line and having intermediate offset corners which are offset transversely in respective opposed directions relative to said straight lateral line, said offset corners being arranged in transverse offset pairs relative to said straight line; also forming additional lateral internal lap pleats which are stitched to said front panel, in the direction of said straight lateral line from each said outer corner to the respective lateral edges of said front panel; keeping the rest of said front panel substantially unpleated and smooth; sewing the edges of said panels to each other by edge-stitches save at a iilling opening to connect said edges independently of the connection of said panels to an article of furniture; also stitching said panels to each other by pocket-forming stitches along transverse pocket-forming lines; each pocket forming line extending from a respective offset corner to the respective adjacent lateral edges of said panels and of said envelope, also forming internal transverse pleats in said front panel at the said pocket-forming lines at said edges while sewing said edges to each other and sewing said transverse pleats to said edges by said edge-stitches, said transverse pleats being spaced from the respective offset corners; also tacking said panels to each other at said abutting corners and outer corners by tacking stitches which are limited to said abutting and outer corners; thus forming pockets between said panels which communicate with said filling opening; each said pocket being formed only by said edge-stitches and two lines of pocket-forming stitches and said tack stitches; and blowing iilling material into the entire space between said panels through said filling opening.

3. A stuffed upholstery envelope, said envelope having a front panel and a rear panel, the edges of said panels being connected to each other by edge-stitches, the front panel having a series of internal sewed pleats, said pleats being arranged at the edges of a plurality of diamondshaped sub-areas of said front panel, said sub areas having abutting corners which are on a common straight line and also having two outer corners on said straight line and also having pairs of offset corners which are offset in respective opposed directions from said straight line, said panels being xed to each other at said abutting corners, and said outer corners, by tack stitches which are confined to said corners, said panels being also stitched to each other to form pockets by pocket-forming stitches along respective pocket-forming lines, each pocket-forming line extending from a respective outer corner to respective adjacent abutting edges of said envelope, the interior space of said envelope being substantially unobstructed save for said tacking stitches and said pocket-forming stitches, each pocket being in free communication with the part of the interior space of said envelope in which said front panel has said diamond-shaped sub-areas, said interior space having a continuous lilling, said front panel being unpleated between said offset corners and the edge of the envelope.

4. An envelope according to claim 3, in which said front panel has two additional pleats on said straight line, each additional pleat extending from a respective outer' corner to the respective edge of said envelope, said front panel being substantially unpleated save at the abovementioned pleats, the rear panel being unpleated, the wall of the envelope consisting solely of said front panel and said rear panel.

5. An envelope according to claim 4 in which said front panel has an internal end-pleat at the junction of each said pocket-forming line and the edge of the envelope, said end-pleats being held in pleat-form by the edgestitches, said end-pleats being spaced from said olset corners.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSy 841,538 Kelly Ian. 15, 1907 1,282,687 Graves Oct. 22, 1918 1,671,840 Puglisi May 29, 1928 2,064,213 Mcloynt Dec. 15, 1936 2,256,939 Copeland Sept. 23, 1941 2,524,640 Strickler Oct. 3, 1950 

